Pages

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Global Warming and The Environment Part 2

Although I admittedly carried around the attitude often heard from Christians for not caring for the environment for a long time, I now see the importance of it from Scripture. I believe all Christians should have some care for the environment. For some this will be their passion or platform in which they spread the gospel truth. For others this will not be their main concern, but it will be one aspect of their life in which they can speak to the culture through their involvement. I do think it is important to note that although we are called to care for the environment, it must be remembered that it is not the number one thing that we are called to.

The passage dealing with Genesis 1:26-31 are probably some of the most cited verses for the basis of why believers should care for environmental issues as it should be. Genesis is the best place in my opinion to look for a reason to show concern and care for this creation that God created. Psalm 89:11 establishes that the earth and its resources all belong to God, but that He has chosen to entrust them to man. Therefore we should show care of them as God would. The Colossians passage used reveals that everything created is for God and his purpose, which to me should give Christians an implication that we should be concerned with environmental issues as it not only gives God glory, but also gives us a platform with our culture to share about our Creator and His story.

In the last couple of years a group of Southern Baptist leaders have created a declaration on the environment and climate change, which I am in full agreement. This declaration consists of four main points. First, humans must care for creation and take responsibility for our contributions to environmental degradation. Second, it is prudent to address global climate change. Third, Christian moral convictions and our Southern Baptist doctrines demand our environmental stewardship. Fourth, it is time for individuals, churches, communities, and governments to act.

It is difficult for me to see how one is showing glory to God when we ignore the environment or show care for it. Many people use the argument that it will all be destroyed one day anyway, but to me God never commands us to be flippant with His creation, but to care for it. Those who are not using caring for the environment as their basis for life, but showing care for it under the command of God encourage me. This has larger implications than within our own circles, but it is one area in which the world will not listen to anything else we say based on our own ignorance of caring for the creation. If anything, we should thank those in the world who do care for the creation, apologize for our ignorance, and explain how they can follow the God who created this creation they care so deeply for. In other words we can redirect their potential worship for the creation to the creator God.

Part of the Creation Care deceleration was an affirmation of anthropogenic global warming, something that is either a giant unknown (epestemically unwarranted) or an outright lie. Either way, it is part of a political movement that is at odds with Biblical teachings such as the right to private property (the green movement is largely a front for removing individual rights) and life (a large part of the green movement rests on the notion that the earth is overpopulated).

"Creation care" may sound like a great idea on the surface. And I quite frankly have not met a person yet who has argued against taking care of the world we live in. However that is really not the issue here. The issue here is economics and government policy. And when you factor those in the debate centers around the question of whether we want larger government or not.